Month: March 2017

During these past few months our country has taken a few hits. The current administration has passed laws supporting transgenders, euthanasia, decriminalising drug use and now special legislation against Islamophobia. Government officials seem to think that it is necessary to protect Muslims from discrimination. To be honest, I never thought they were under any real danger while living here on Canadian soil. To the contrary, if any people need protecting it would be the Jewish people since they are eight times more likely to be the victim of hate crimes than any other group, according to Statistics Canada. So why all the fuss?

It should be obvious by now that media and politicians are not too concerned about facts. Integrity may have mattered once long ago but now it is mostly about masking and spinning info to control society. In parliament a young lady stands up and tells of bullying, that she is a Muslim and Muslims are Canadians. Bullying is a common experience for most groups and any one of us could stand up and site examples of it, irrespective of our religious upbringing. More to the point, it is estimated that some 90,000 JEWS and CHRISTIANS are tortured and killed many by Islamist each year. Ex-Muslim Al Fadi left Saudi Arabia for Christianity and now lives in the West. He says: “It’s by infiltrating the societies, the political systems, and by basically taking their time to grow, to become a majority that at some point, they will have a voice that they can topple things basically to their advantage.” Are our political leadership not hearing and seeing the same things that we see and hear!

The Bible teaches that men prefer darkness rather than light. Jesus was mostly rejected by His people. Jesus told them and others the truth about needing to be saved. Jesus did not simply teach and live the truth, He was the embodiment of it. During His life he denounced homosexuality, murder, false religions, idolatry, immorality and courageously faced the repercussions that would follow. Unlike many today, he was not afraid to speak the truth. He lived and died by it. While it would have been far more popular and safer to lie and deceive, He remained committed to the truth. Praise God He never denounced it. Even in the face of death, he remained committed to giving his life on Calvary. In the gospel of John, we are told that it is the truth that sets us free (8:32). Salvation is given to those who have confessed their sins and repented. In turn we are set free from the bondage of sin and able to serve our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Relationship building is best done under pressure. You can be sure that the stress and strain of everyday life is a good test to discover how well our relationship building skills have progressed. Rather than waiting for crisis situations to develop, it may be wise to consider one of the best approaches on “how to deal with others when circumstances are not at their best in our lives”.

The number one factor to consider in any relationship is the basis for our Christian identity and commonness to other Believers. Our thoughts and actions are formed around the fact that Christ has reconciled individuals to each other and to Himself. The reason we can do what we do is because of our relationship to Christ. This is what drives our lives forward to accomplish His Will. The purpose of God for the members of Christ’s body is to be built up together in order to develop the character of Christ. Commitment is mandatory since it is a lofty goal and cannot be achieved overnight. The first thing we need to understand is that the consequences of our actions may have rippling affects that go beyond ourselves and are felt by the body as well. When this simple fact is overlooked, and Christians do not operate in love but seek their own welfare, unity in the body is affected. Being brought into the body through regeneration means that Christians are fastened to each other, a supernatural bond that cannot be found in any human institution. How we relate to each other must have unity in sight, and when fractures appear it is often the actions of someone seeking their own interest over that of others in the body, affecting not only the Church but carrying over to the way outsiders perceive the Church and its Head, Jesus Christ. Today’s skepticism about the Christian faith is partly due to divisions among Believers.

The Church’s purpose is to mimic Christ. Much is made about image these days. Companies seek techniques to create a favorable view of themselves for public approval. Often public relations and/or advertisements are used to achieve this goal. Christianity seeks to demonstrate an image to the world in hopes that they will commit their lives to Him. Graceful suffering is our best form of advertising to others. It is through the hard times that the world sees what the disciples of Christ are made of and become convinced about the authenticity of our faith. Difficulties can act as a kind of bonding agent to strengthen relationships. In building relationships, you must realize that suffering patently is essential for Christian development, that you may be conformed to the character of Christ. It is an impressive goal that Christ sets for His Church, but just as impressive are the measures that God has in place to accomplish it. To reach the goal of being like Christ “each of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it”. (Ephesians 4:7) Grace is the strength we all need to get us there.

Lately, have you given yourself any time to think about the things that bring perspectives on life, not the temporary things that mean nothing in eternity such as wealth, popularity, and power? Those things have no lasting value once you are gone from this life and into the next. But what we do now on earth in relation to Christ’s purpose does matter forever. You can commit your life to Christ and follow Him, and in doing so will find that living above the world’s grid is far better since it is what God had intended from the beginning! Trust in Christ and repent of your sins that you may live your life in accordance to His divine purpose.